First Reviews For Marvel's IRON FIST Are in and They Are Not Good


Marvel TV has found great success in their Netflix shows, but by the sound of many of the first reviews now coming in for IRON FIST, they may have their first dud.

Here's a round-up of the first reviews, and please note that each outlet has only seen the first six episodes.


"Quite a few dramas in the streaming arena have pacing problems, and even Netflix’s better Marvel programs have displayed an affinity for contrived, time-killing subplots. But 'Iron Fist' is the most frustrating and ferociously boring example of Netflix Drift in some time. 
"Not one element of this plodding piece works. The action scenes lack spark, snap, and originality. None of the flat, by-the-numbers characters makes any lasting impression. And as origin stories go, the tale of Danny Rand (Finn Jones), at least as rendered by this creative team, is about as exciting as a slice of Velveeta cheese left out in the sun too long. It takes forever for anything to happen on 'Iron Fist,' and as it stumbles along, the uninspired production design, unexceptional cinematography, and painful dialogue fail to distract the viewer from the overall lack of depth, detail, or momentum." [Click here to read more.]


"Netflix has only provided reviewers with the first six episodes of Iron Fist’s 13-episode season, but watching them was baffling experience. After Jessica Jones (a revelation), Luke Cage (flawed but still brilliant) and Daredevil (outshone by the competition but still very solid), I fully expected Iron Fist to be a decent adaptation ultimately hobbled by an unwillingness to stray too far from its dated source material. Instead, I found myself incredulously texting coworkers who also had screener access to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating." [Click here to read more.]


"If Iron Fist was an otherwise boring series with a hero who kicked butt in exciting ways early and often, I’d forgive the bland expository parts in the same way I do for a lot of action shows and movies. And if Finn Jones couldn’t fight but was otherwise a riveting screen presence blessed with sparkling dialogue and a compelling character arc, I’d get past the alleged living weapon’s lame physical prowess. But when neither part works at all, why would anyone but the most devout, masochistic Marvel completist want to watch?" [Click here to read more.]


"Debuting on Netflix on Friday, March 17, Iron Fist feels like a step backward on every level, a major disappointment that already suffers from storytelling issues through the first six episodes made available to critics and would probably be mercifully skippable in its entirety if it weren't the bridge into the long awaited Defenders crossover series." [Click here to read more.]


"The end result is more often a boring, confused, and offensive mess of a series, one that’s as bad at diversity as it is telling a story that superhero fans will enjoy. It lacks the impact it so desperately needed after the successes of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. And that’s a shame. Fans feared the worst when the series was announced, and all their fears came true." [Click here to read more.]


"As the last member to join the roster of Netflix's 'Defenders' crossover, 'Iron Fist' felt like the chance to broaden the TV universe's gritty scope with levity and more fantastic elements, especially in a post-'Doctor Strange' world. It comes tantalisingly close to indulging in over-the-top action, but after half a dozen episodes, you're left with the impression that everyone involved is maybe taking a show about a kung fu master who once hugged a dragon to death a little too seriously." [Click here to read more.]


"There’s a lot to like about Iron Fist despite its flaws. But much like its lead character, the show will need to grow up quickly if it wants to live up to its potential." [Click here to read more.]

Collider:

"Each Marvel Netflix series is different, and they aren’t tailored to appeal to everyone. Daredevil has never been my speed, though I adored Jessica Jones. I loved the first four episodes of Luke Cage, which earned it a 5-star review at the time, but once I watched the rest of the series I very much wished to downgrade it. I say this because I don’t want to pick on Iron Fist, it’s just that we’ve seen these issues in the other series, and Iron Fist didn’t learn from them. If anything, it doubled-down on the problems. Because of that, my patience is up with these Defender solo seasons. Iron Fist isn’t terrible, and some of it is actually very good, but it should be so much better. What could have been the boldest series is instead the quietest. Seriously … in the comics, the man gets his powers from punching a dragon in the heart, but that’s withheld from us? If I wanted to focus more on reality I wouldn’t spend so much time watching superhero TV." [Click here to read more.]

IRON FIST premieres exclusively on Netflix on March 17.


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